Modular multi-media communication management system with an integrated service for wide area network wireless telephones

• US 20030059039A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teleware Incorporated
• Inventors: Sojka, Marvin L., Meyerson, Robert F., Adams, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/428.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present multi-media communication management system comprises a controller that interfaces with a plurality of communication space stations and with one or more communication medium service providers. Each communication space station may be coupled to a wide area network mobile telephone served by a wide area network service provider. The multi-media communication management system communicates with a wide area network controller through the service provider medium and automatically provides instructions to the wide area network controller to forward telephone calls that are directed to the mobile telephone to the system controller upon the mobile telephone being coupled to a communication space station.

Claims

1. A multi-media communication management system for operation with a plurality of subscriber stations, at least one of which serves a wide area network wireless telephone, the multi-media communication management system comprising:

a network communication circuit for multi-media communication with said plurality of subscriber stations;

a service provider interface for multi-media communication with a wide area network controller over a service provider communication medium;

a communication session control server coupled to the network communication circuit and the service provider interface comprising;

means for receiving from a subscriber station an indication that the wide area network wireless telephone has been coupled thereto;

means for establishing a communication session with the wide area network controller; and

means for sending a call forward command through the communication session, the call forward command providing for the wide area network controller to forward telephone calls addressed to the wide area network mobile telephone to a designated telephone number.

2. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, wherein the designated telephone number comprises DID digits that are associated with a subscriber that is associated with the wide area network wireless telephone.

3. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, further including:

a call forwarding file associating an identification code of the wide area network wireless telephone to the network controller and the call forward command.

4. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, wherein the network controller is identified by a telephone number and the call forward command is a sequence of DTMF tones.

5. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a packet voice gateway coupled to the network communication circuit and the service provider interface, the packet voice gateway comprising;

means for receiving a session initiation signal from the wide area network controller through the service provider communication medium, the session initiation signal including at least a portion of the designated telephone number;

means for establishing a first communication channel with the wide area network controller and establishing a second communication channel with the subscriber station in response to the session initiation signal, and

means for relaying audio communication data between the first communication channel and the second communication channel for the duration of the audio session.

6. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a packet voice gateway coupled to the network communication circuit and the service provider interface, the packet voice gateway comprising;

means for receiving an audio session initiation signal from the wide area network controller through the service provider communication medium, the open session signal including at least a portion of the designated telephone number associated with the subscriber station and caller identification information,

means for providing a second audio initiation signal to the subscriber station in response to receipt of the open session signal,

means for establishing a first communication channel with the wide area network controller; and

means for recording an audio message received on the first communication channel if the subscriber station does not respond to the second audio session initiation signal within a predetermined period of time following when the second audio session initiation signal was provided to the subscriber station.

7. The multi-media communication management system of claim 1, wherein the communication session control server further comprises:

means for receiving from a subscriber station an indication that the wide area network wireless telephone has been de-coupled there from;

means for establishing a second communication session with the wide area network controller; and

means for sending a call forward deactivation command through the second communication session, the call forward deactivation command providing for the wide area network controller to terminate the forwarding of telephone calls addressed to the wide area network wireless telephone.

8. The multi-media communication management system of claim 7, wherein the call forwarding file further includes the call forward deactivation command associated with the identification code of the wide area network wireless telephone.

9. The multi-media communication management system of claim 8, wherein the call forward deactivation command is a sequence of DTMF tones.

10. A method of performing multi-media communication management in a system comprising a plurality of subscriber stations, at least one of which serves a wide area network wireless telephone, the method comprising:

receiving from a subscriber station an indication that the wide area network wireless telephone has been coupled thereto;

establishing a communication session with a wide area network controller that provides wireless telephone service to the wide area network wireless telephone through a multi-media service provider communication medium;

sending a call forward command through the communication session, the call forward command providing for the wide area network controller to forward telephone calls addressed to the wide area network wireless telephone to a designated telephone number.

11. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, wherein the designated telephone number comprises DID digits that are associated with a subscriber that is associated with the wide area network wireless telephone number.

12. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, further comprising:

querying a call forwarding file that associates an identification code of the wide are network telephone to the network controller and the call forward command.

13. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, wherein the network controller is identified by a a telephone number and the call forward command is a sequence of DTMF tones.

14. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an open session signal from the wide area network controller through the service provider communication medium, the open session signal including at least a portion of the designated telephone number;

establishing a first communication channel with the wide area network controller and establishing a second communication channel with the subscriber station in response to the open session signal; and

relaying audio communication data between the first communication channel and the second communication channel for the duration of the audio session.

15. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an audio session initiation signal from the wide area network controller through the service provider communication medium, the audio session initiation signal including at least a portion of the designated telephone number;

providing a second audio initiation signal to the subscriber station in response to receipt of the session initiation signal;

establishing a first communication channel with the wide area network controller; and

recording an audio message received on the first communication channel if the subscriber station does not respond to the second audio session initiation signal within a predetermined period of time following when the second audio session initiation signal was provided to the subscriber station.

16. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving from a subscriber station an indication that the wide area network wireless telephone has been de-coupled there from;

establishing a second communication session with the wide area network controller; and

sending call forward deactivation command through the second communication session, the call forward deactivation command providing for the wide area network controller to terminate the forwarding of telephone calls addressed to the wide area network mobile telephone.

17. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 16, wherein the call forwarding file further includes the call forward deactivation command.

18. The method of performing multi-media communication management of claim 17, wherein the call forward deactivation command is a sequence of DTMF tones.